2006 proved to be an important year for start-ups. The launch of Twitter, Facebook open to anyone over 13 and the realization of a lifelong dream for two young Argentinians: Tomás Pando and Francisco Murray.
They may not be household names like Zuckerberg or Dorsey, but they are the face of the region’s undeniable entrepreneurial spirit. Seven years on, their modern-day reinvention of the gauchos’ traditional footwear - alpargatas - sold a quarter of a million pairs in 2012 and has stores in 23 countries worldwide, from Angola to Venezuela.
Yet, tales of innovation like that of Paez are rare, according to a new World Bank flagship report published today.
A massive 60% of Latin America employees work for businesses with five or fewer employees. Often considered to be a driver of development, entrepreneurship creates jobs and promotes economic growth. But while business creation is high in the region, the resulting companies grow at a much slower rate than similar enterprises in other middle-income regions and companies.
"The landscape of the economy in Latin America is such that firms tend to start small and stay small,” explained De la Torre at the report’s launch event. “There’s nothing bad about being small, per se, but staying small forever is a problem.”
And the reason behind this stunted growth: a chronic shortage of innovation within the region.
This should ring warning bells. Over the past ten years, Latin America has benefited significantly from favorable economic tailwinds, enabling the region to reduce extreme poverty, increase equality and boost 50 million people into the middle class. However, as these tailwinds die, growth has to come from within, and innovation and dynamism are the key if the region is to build upon the social gains of recent years.